BUILDING CAMERAS:

b) You can add
cardboard or plastic pipe "extension" tubes if necessary.

Oatmeal boxes and other
"found" objects:

a) SINGLE SHOT!
and can be loaded with only one piece of film/paper at a time.

b) Make sure
it is light tight. A good way to do this is to paint interior flat black.

c) Use black
opaque tape to seal edges where box is opened

d) You can produce
the most "bizarre" images, because of the shape of the film plane.
[not flat!]

e) It does not
look like a camera (candids, etc.)

Paint Cans - most hardware
stores have these for $1-2 for the qt. size..

A one quart can
will hold a piece of film or paper up to 4x10 inches. Use MATT or PEARL paper,
GLOSSY causes strange vertical reflections. A #79 drill will produce the sharpest
images on a one quart can. Paint the inside and bottom of the lid with flatblack
paint. Use a washer to undo the lid afterwards. Make sure the pinhole is clean.
Easy to get paint, etc. into the hole.

a) This is one
of the most universal film formats, lots of film types available, including
Polaroid

b) It can be
made from a variety of materials from foam core to wood to plastic to metal.

c) It allows
for more than one image to be taken during a session by using the removable
film backs and film holders.

d) You can adapt
a "real" 4x5 camera easily by removing lens and adding a pinhole
to a lens board. Of course, this can also be done with other sheet film cameras
from 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 to as large as you have!